Just too damn big.

[woodchucker]

I started a project a while back. I cut a large (to me) aluminum ring to make a steady rest. I was going to do simple fingers, but then started thinking about doing a little more complicated finger. Then I remembered Mark Frazer's steady rest fingers. I printed them out, and went about making them. My ring was 1" thick, and I thought his 7/8 would be tight, but it would work... wishful thinking... I made only 1 of the fingers less the final finger, I wanted to see how it looked... well, it's everything I feared it would be... too big.. I reasoned I can turn it down, but then the wall thickness would be small.

I shouldn't have winged it. Should have spent more time before I even cut the ring deciding on things. Now I'll have to redo the fingers, downsize them. They are really big, and would fit a bigger lathe well. I'll look at 3/4" see if that will scale a little better.

Enough of me rambling on..
time to figure out what screws I will use to replace and see if it will scale.. probably a better idea at this point to make a sleeve first, not the outer nut.

 

[Aukai]

I'm contemplating roller fingers in place of the solid ones with brass buttons. Still contemplating though.

 

[woodchucker]

I decided against ball bearing fingers. This is just my reasoning.
I've watched a lot of Youtubers over the years, one thing that I hear a lot bout bearings is that if you don't block the swarf from getting in, and a chip or anything gets in, it will go under the roller because of the way a roller just rolls it under it, it will either jam, or make a mark. It might not mark on yours with brass buttons, it might mark the brass. But with a rub on finger, there's no rolling action, so while still possible to get caught, it most likely gets wiped away. MOST LIKELY not absolute.. The only need is oil..

so I'll try the brass or bronze tips first. Plenty of time to screw up a few more times...
The only thing about down sizing from the 7/8 sleeve, is that if I wanted a bearing later, it would have been possible, as the finger was going to be 5/8 which would have allowed a bearing in a slot if I wanted it, or wanted to modify what I am considering.

 

[woodchucker]

just to show what I was talking about.
I think 3/4 will fit ok, but I haven't decided yet.